The True Richness
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It seems to be commonly accepted nowadays that everyone wants to win the lottery, hit the slots big at the casino, or be a millionaire. This attitude is akin to what the first hearers of the parable of the successful farmer would have thought: Why, of course he’d want to find a way to preserve his good fortune for the future, to secure for himself a life of leisure, eating, drinking, and merriment. It’s exactly the kind of life that the right ticket, hand of cards, or quiz show answer might bring us today. Being surrounded by this “common wisdom” makes the words of Qoheleth, the psalmist, Paul, and Jesus all that much harder to hear today. Perhaps good fortune will be ours, perhaps it will not be. But if we make that fortune or the quest for it the heart, the very center, of our lives, then we will live to regret it. We will not achieve the future security we pursue, and we will lose the present moment in the chase.
This Sunday’s gospel invites us to reflect on the value of temporal wealth which will finish with the famous words “ Where your treasure is, there is also your heart” (v34). Jesus teaches us through the parable of the foolish rich the wealth does not guarantees nor gives life and thus Jesus invites us to avoid all kinds of avarice. The question to reflect during this week is then where have we put our treasure? How many of us still living in the cold and dark jail of wanting and possessing? How many of us still chained to avarice and materialism? Jesus invites us to pour our treasure in the heavenly richness that nobody can take away from us. These treasure is achieved by being honest in our jobs; giving a hand whoever needs it; forgiving the offenses which have made our lives miserable; but especially by doing the acts of mercy. By doing this, we not only achieve to have heavenly treasures, but they will also give us the true peace and the true joy in our lives as Christians. I ask you of your prayers as we continue our pilgrimage in the World Youth Day. You are assured or our prayers. May God Bless You!
Readings for the Week
Monday: Jer 28:1-17; Ps 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102; Mt 14:13-21
Tuesday: Jer 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; Ps 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; Mt 14:22-36
Wednesday: Jer 31:1-7; Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13; Mt 15:21-28
Thursday: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Mt 16:13-23
Friday: Na 2:1,3;3:1-3, 6-7;Dt 32:35cd-36ab;Mt 16:24-28
Saturday: Dn 7:9-10, 13-14; Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; Lk 9:28b-36
Sunday: Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33:1, 12, 18-22; Hb 11:1-2; Lk 12:32-48 [35-40]